On any given day, dedicated scientists at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are promoting childhood vaccines, advancing disease prevention, tamping down on food-borne illnesses, tracking microbial outbreaks around the globe, collecting data on drug overdoses and tobacco use, and conducting research in 200 laboratories. In March 2018, after 20 years in the US Army Medical Corps, Robert Redfield signed on to head the CDC, the premier American public health agency. He’ll talk about the agency’s priorities, the health risks we face, and where our best defense lies.